Bad idea

[Final Mile]

I was considering getting a beta for my very first tank. For all I've read and discovered so far, they're supposed to be relatively durable and easy to maintain. It also helps that every single local pet shop in my town sells them as well and they're dirt cheap, however, there is a major problem concerning acquiring said fish.

Every single place I visited so far sells them half-dead, half-alive. They normally stay in a little plastic cup that is just big enough to fit 1 tiny fish (or half of it) and just enough water to cover it up ー cloudy, filthy water! With a foul smell of decaying flesh. Needless to say that the fish's integrity and condition are questionable. There isn't a single one that's whole. They're always rotting, missing parts (sometimes whole sections) and discolored, often with a whitish pale look and most obviously plagued with... well, fungus-like stuff attached to the fish's exterior and whatnot.

Even if I did buy one, isolate it on a separate tank until it "recovers", I'll never really know if it's fully cleansed if you get what I mean. And even if it is, well, the beta doesn't last long to begin with, getting sick and subsisting in less favorable conditions tends to greatly reduce the lifespan of all kinds of animals to top it off.

Buying new fish, isolating and resurrecting it... just so that it'll die anyways about 6 to 24 months later? Let us avoid headaches, it'd be better to just leave the planted fish tank without any fish in this case.

 

[Phreaker]

I mean they can't all be that bad in every shop near you right?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I really don’t like the term “durable” when speaking of fish. Hardy is usually the term we use when referring to species of fish that can live through a lot of hard ship. But, that should not be a determining factor when picking out a fish.

I was considering getting a beta for my very first tank. For all I've read and discovered so far, they're supposed to be relatively durable and easy to maintain. It also helps that every single local pet shop in my town sells them as well and they're dirt cheap, however, there is a major problem concerning acquiring said fish.

Every single place I visited so far sells them half-dead, half-alive. They normally stay in a little plastic cup that is just big enough to fit 1 tiny fish (or half of it) and just enough water to cover it up ー cloudy, filthy water! With a foul smell of decaying flesh. Needless to say that the fish's integrity and condition are questionable. There isn't a single one that's whole. They're always rotting, missing parts (sometimes whole sections) and discolored, often with a whitish pale look and most obviously plagued with... well, fungus-like stuff attached to the fish's exterior and whatnot.

Even if I did buy one, isolate it on a separate tank until it "recovers", I'll never really know if it's fully cleansed if you get what I mean. And even if it is, well, the beta doesn't last long to begin with, getting sick and subsisting in less favorable conditions tends to greatly reduce the lifespan of all kinds of animals to top it off.

Buying new fish, isolating and resurrecting it... just so that it'll die anyways about 6 to 24 months later? Let us avoid headaches, it'd be better to just leave the planted fish tank without any fish in this case.

You can do what you wish when it comes to this... have you ever treated a betta for the common pet store diseases? (Ich, fin rot, etc.)

If so, I would go for it. It’s always great to rescue a half dead fish and make him like new again. It gives you a sense of doing good.

Usually they have new fish shipments every day so you may want to go on one of those days. Usually the bettas you see that are in horrible conditions have been there for a while.

 

[mcordelia]

there's also the option of ordering online, however then you don't get the option of choosing the colors/pattern (or maybe you do, haven't looked into it), and it doesn't guarantee that you will get a healthy individual either. From what I understand however, betta tend to live 3-5 years, as opposed to 0.5-2 as you quoted.

Of course it's an individual preference, you could also consider some other fish instead of a betta if you are concerned about health and durability?

yet another option is to look into a female betta instead of a male betta, those are often sold in tanks since it is common practice to keep multiple female bettas in the same tank at fish stores.

 

[eatyourpeas]

I just saw a Betta at my LFS three days ago, not the prettiest fish, may not get chosen anytime soon. I went back a day later for something else I forgot and it perked up a bit when I got close. Mind you, I never intended to have Bettas, but may end up taking this little one home and giving it a better life, even if for a short time.

 

[Darkomot]

I understand your situation, and it sucks. Someones said this earlier but ordering online is probably your best bet because there are many online retailers that sell and breed quality fish. When you order online the fish are shipped overnight, so you end up getting a fish that has only spent around 1 day in the small amount of dirty water. Most retailers also fast their fish for a few days before they ship them because the fish will release less waste during shipping. If you are looking for some of the highest quality bettas around, then check the first link that I'm including. If you're looking for something cheaper but still great quality, then the second link (LiveAquaria) is for you. The largest thing to think about is the high shipping price from buying online. For your situation, it may just be worth it.

LIVE Bettas For Sale

KGTropicals

keepfishkeeping.com

Live Aquaria - Search Results for betta

aquarium-fish.liveaquaria.com

 

[FishGuest5123]

I love rescuing bettas in trouble. Even if they only make it 6 more months, I know I gave them a good life while I could instead of letting him die in a cup.

 

[Utar]

You might look into getting a Baby Boy, that way you can raise him yourself. But of course you want know what he will really look like until he is grown.

 

[Kyle E.]

I just bought a betta the other day from petco. Their bettas weren't the best but he looked decent. I have never wanted a betta but when I saw him I just had to have him! He is the prettiest fish I have seen IMO. Once I can get a good picture I will post it. I am too late for the betta contest though... I wouldn't order online personally because I wouldn't know what color I would get. I would say just try to get one of the better ones and give him a good life!

 

[Final Mile]

You can do what you wish when it comes to this... have you ever treated a betta for the common pet store diseases? (Ich, fin rot, etc.)

I have no experience with aquarium fish.

there's also the option of ordering online, however then you don't get the option of choosing the colors/pattern (or maybe you do, haven't looked into it), and it doesn't guarantee that you will get a healthy individual either. From what I understand however, betta tend to live 3-5 years, as opposed to 0.5-2 as you quoted.

I'm aware of the "correct" 5 years "maximum" lifespan of the beta, but I heard... rumors. People here in local stores say that the guys breeding the fish do it so in a way that the fish ends up with a shorter lifespan, either by breeding fish with "bad blood" or by mixing crippling chemicals in their food right after they're born. I have no means of verifying this info, and although it seems far-fetched, everyone who I talked to with experience in keeping/selling fish was adamant on the fact that they never have seen a beta live past 3 years.

I understand your situation, and it sucks. Someones said this earlier but ordering online is probably your best bet because there are many online retailers that sell and breed quality fish. When you order online the fish are shipped overnight, so you end up getting a fish that has only spent around 1 day in the small amount of dirty water. Most retailers also fast their fish for a few days before they ship them because the fish will release less waste during shipping. If you are looking for some of the highest quality bettas around, then check the first link that I'm including. If you're looking for something cheaper but still great quality, then the second link (LiveAquaria) is for you. The largest thing to think about is the high shipping price from buying online. For your situation, it may just be worth it.

LIVE Bettas For Sale

KGTropicals

keepfishkeeping.com

Live Aquaria - Search Results for betta

aquarium-fish.liveaquaria.com

I'm not sure if you can buy live stuff internationally... although I have seen expensive beta fish in the local online marketplace. They cost up to 11 times the price of a regular beta fish, and the sellers claim they come from a superior breeding lineage, suitable for "breeding or competitions". It could very well be a scam, but I guess there's no way of knowing besides buying one.

I love rescuing bettas in trouble. Even if they only make it 6 more months, I know I gave them a good life while I could instead of letting him die in a cup.

Only some plants live "forever". Beings of flesh and bone all die out soon or later, the only deciding factor here is the timespan of which I'll have to go out of my way to acquire new fish and go through all the hassle of adapting it to the new ambient, diet, possible diseases and stuff, until it "stabilizes" itself, which may or may not take a while.

Betas are a niche market in my place, by far the most popular aquarium fish around, which in contrast makes it seem like there are few "true aquarium hobbyists" around. Betas are also the only fish to ever be sold in miserable conditions. Anything else you can buy here always seems to be just fine. Either way, I'm just planning the setup now. Can't say I really care for the fish, I'm really here just for the aquatic plants. An aquascape aquarium with beautiful glowing plants under a light works fine for me, even if without any fish whatsoever.

 

[threecharacters]

It's worth mentioning that OP seems to be from Brazil. There are no Petcos in Brazil. Basically everyone that's responded is from the US. Perhaps the bettas available locally really are as bad as OP mentions.

Maybe OP should look for healthier fish, perhaps a species from South America?

Note that planted tanks do better when stocked with fish. The plants use waste created by the fish to grow. You can have a planted tank without fish, but you need to have some source of nutrients like a really rich soil or a liquid nitrate fertilizer.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I'm aware of the "correct" 5 years "maximum" lifespan of the beta, but I heard... rumors. People here in local stores say that the guys breeding the fish do it so in a way that the fish ends up with a shorter lifespan, either by breeding fish with "bad blood" or by mixing crippling chemicals in their food right after they're born. I have no means of verifying this info, and although it seems far-fetched, everyone who I talked to with experience in keeping/selling fish was adamant on the fact that they never have seen a beta live past 3 years.

I have never had a betta live past 3 years, even with my good care. IMO, it all depends on the breeder.

If you have never cared for fish before, I would not get a sick betta to try to nurse it back to health.

 

[mcordelia]

@Final Mile it seems like you have already made up your mind with regard to the bettas. I'm sorry to hear that the stock is of so poor quality in your local stores, and I think you make some astute observations regarding the commercialized nature of the sale of some fish. It really is a shame. I think you got some other suggestions in your other thread about other creatures you could keep in your planted tank, but it is also just as valid for you to not add any animals to it at all! As @threecharacters alluded to, living organisms provide a biological source of beneficial plant nutrients, but that's not to say you wouldn't be able to try to recreate the nutrient profile via addition from a bottle. Things that come to mind include adding ammonia and aquatic fertilizers. I also wonder how co2 balance would occur without any live animals, but on the other hand, I really can't imagine how much CO2 a betta would produce at the end of the day, so that may be a moot point regardless.